How to Share a Short Story

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“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” – Benjamin Franklin

Back when my brother had his pilot’s license, I would occasionally fly with him when he needed to get time in practicing take-offs and landings. We’d go on days where the weather was nice and spend an hour or two flying to nearby airports to land and take-off again to meet the minimum requirement for flight hours necessary to maintain his license.

Taking off and landing is the hardest part of flying. And I think that’s the same with writing, isn’t it? It’s why I’m so impressed by short story writers. That’s a lot of take-offs and landings, so to speak.

So I loved this How to Share podcast conversation that award-winning playwright Jack Canfora and I had with author Maxine Rosaler. We delve into her recently released book, The Missing Kidney, a collection of short stories that explore the complexities of human relationships set against the backdrop of New York City in the 1970s and 80s. There are 14 short stories in this collection – and Maxine is an expert at take-offs and landings.

Maxine shares her journey as a writer, discussing her preference for short stories, the therapeutic nature of writing, and the importance of character development. We touch on the evolution of New York City, the themes of truth and denial in her work, and the challenges of navigating personal relationships in fiction. Throughout the conversation, Maxine emphasizes the significance of finding one’s voice and the role of encouragement in a writer’s journey.

Takeaways

  • Maxine’s stories are character-based and often autobiographical.
  • She prefers writing short stories over novels for their conciseness.
  • Writing can be therapeutic, helping to process emotions and experiences.
  • The city of New York serves as a character in her stories.
  • Maxine believes in the goodness of people and explores themes of denial.
  • She emphasizes the importance of finding one’s angle in writing.
  • The evolution of New York City influences her writing and themes.
  • The unconscious mind plays a crucial role in the creative process.

Here’s a short of Maxine’s introducing one of her stories and some of the themes she likes to explore:

Here are some ways you can watch this engaging episode with the “best short story writer you’ve never heard of” per Kirkus Reviews. Until now, of course…

45: The Life of Try: Alex Honnold Case Study – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

This episode features host Wynne Leon with a brand-new segment that “reverse engineers” what world-class trying really looks like. Our case study: professional climber Alex Honnold, whose headline-making feats—from free soloing El Capitan in Yosemite to scaling Taipei 101 this January—offer a masterclass in what it takes to attempt the extraordinary.We’ll break down the real ingredients behind self-improvement, personal growth and big outcomes: preparation, learning from others, and staying steady through setbacks—and how those same principles apply to the goals of re-invention we’re chasing every day. Whether you’re gearing up to speak in public, throw a pitch, or learn a new song, you can borrow these lessons and put them to work in your own try-cycle.This is The Life of Try—the podcast where innovation, reinvention, personal growth, and discovery begin with one simple choice: to try. Even when it’s uncomfortable. Even when you’d rather not. Even when life makes the decision for you.Links for this episode:Wynne's blog: https://wynneleon.comFree Solo: A National Geographic documentaryAlex Honnold Free Solo Climbs Tapei 101 Skyscraper
  1. 45: The Life of Try: Alex Honnold Case Study
  2. How to Share a Reimagined Sci-Fi Trilogy with Dr. Wayne Runde
  3. How to Share Advocacy with Sam Daley-Harris Part 2
  4. What Do You Know To Be True?
  5. How to Share a Return Home with Mario Cartaya

How to Share Short Stories transcript

Links for this episode:

⁠The Missing Kidney⁠ website

The Missing Kidney on ⁠Barnes & Noble⁠ and ⁠Amazon⁠

From the Hosts:

⁠Jack Canfora’s website⁠

My book about my beloved father: ⁠Finding My Father’s Faith⁠;

61 thoughts on “How to Share a Short Story”

  4. Believing in truth, goodness, love, and a hate for evil and lying, etc. I imagine most people subscribe to those beliefs, at least publicly.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Good interview. Loved when Maxine said this: “I’m in love with words and finding the right word and I write, and for me writing is very musical.”
    I love to read written words, and sometimes when I find the ‘music’ in them I wonder – did the author intend for this to happen, or did I luck out and find something unexpectedly beautiful here?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh, I love the interplay between author and reader that you pulled out, Rose. That’s so precious! I wonder that too — and I guess in the case of Maxine, we can assume it is! Thanks for listening!

      Liked by 1 person

  8. I admire writers who are prolific in the stories they tell and how they’re able to create a world we immerse ourselves in and are sad to leave.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Right.! I love reading, and appreciate how some writers create series after series.

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  15. I liked Maxine’s take on her years as a journalist for a community newspaper; she still sought out human interest stories and it helped her hone her writing, which well, was right up my alley. 😊I like her focus on quirkiness. That’s a good thing. Quirkiness is what makes a character, whether real or fiction, stand out. We all want stories that stand out. I like that she looks for humor and the absurditites in life (of which there are so many!) and her honest comment “I’m invested in doing the best work I can.” I felt that. Thanks, Wynne and Jack.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Right up your alley — yes! Love how Maxine’s experience overlaps with yours, Melanie. You are so right about quirkiness and absurdities. So much to mine! Thanks for tuning in, my friend!

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Great Takeaways!!! Thank you!!! Also, my husband and have a fear of flying – can’t even imagine going up for practice landings and take offs! YIKES! That’s braver than throwing yourself out there with books and stories! 😉

    Liked by 1 person

  22. I loved this conversation with Maxine and Jack! New York City is an amazing city and how rich the stories must’ve been in the 70s and 80s – and I say this as someone who loves the present day stories on Humans with New York.

    Listening to the podcast reminded me of when we did a unit on short stories in Grade 9 English and it is an art and a craft in itself to pack so much in a short space. I agree with Maxine the conciseness of the form has its charm and benefits.

    Reading other people’s works is one of the best ways to absorb and learn the craft of writing indeed, Maxine and Wynne!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. What a great comment, Ab. Thank you for listening. Love that you mention the Humans in NY stories – another captivating way to tell a story! You are so right – there is an art and a craft to short stories! Thanks for tuning in, my friend!

      Liked by 1 person

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